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Oddball Having Problems - Uri

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Terry1975

Terry1975

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi

Just some advice please, one of my guineas is ill and has been on Baytril 0.5 ml twice a day for 6 days. He came okay after about 2 days but this morning I noticed that his breathing has returned to being noisy again. He was eating well after the 2 days during which I was hand feeding and syringing water into him and I have been sprinkling the pro-biotic powder onto his food. Please can someone lend some advice please I will be taking him back to the vet this morning as I am concerned.
 
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I agree taking him back to the vet is necessary, the sooner the better. He may need another antibiotic added in if the baytril isnt cutting it. They may also check if he needs a diuretic if there is fluid in there too.

Try feeding him extra cucumber/celery instead of syringing water until he sees the vet this morning- if he is having breathing issues then theres a higher risk of him aspirating any syringed water.

Let us know how he gets on, sending best wishes x
 
Terry1975 said:
Hi

Just some advice please, one of my guineas is ill and has been on Baytril 0.5 ml twice a day for 6 days. He came okay after about 2 days but this morning I noticed that his breathing has returned to being noisy again. He was eating well after the 2 days during which I was hand feeding and syringing water into him and I have been sprinkling the pro-biotic powder onto his food. Please can someone lend some advice please I will be taking him back to the vet this morning as I am concerned.
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Good that you have him seen again promptly - that is the best thing you can do in a case like that!

If your vets finds lots of mucus in his airways, then ask for bisolvon powder to clear them. If there is fluid in his lungs (pneumonia), please ask for a diuretic to help ease the breathing. Your vet may also consider switching to another antibiotic.

Switch to syringe feeding and watering again if there is weight loss. You can also give 1/8 - 1/4 of a human vitamin C tablet a day (crumbled on a bit of veg or dissolved in 1 ml of water and syringed) to help boost the immune system.
 
Hi all, thanks for the responses. They sleep in my bedroom and I am a light sleeper so I heard his breathing. I took him too see the vet this morning and she sounded his lungs and she switched his anti-biotics to septrin 0.35ml twice a day. She said that I am doing everything right and to continue doing what i am doing x
 
Hi all can someone give me advice please I don't know what to do. Oddball seems to respond to the antibiotics and just as they at about to finish he gets bad again I don't know what to do I am really worried about him x
 
Well certainly back to the vet ASAP but perhaps there is an underlying problem so make sure the vet does a full exam again. I really hope you can get this figured out, for now keep doing what you are doing, maybe some pain meds if that seems to be an issue
 
Sounds like he needs to see the vet again- he may need a diuretic if there is fluid in his lungs. Sounds like further investigation is required if this is just a persistent URI, although still serious, or another issue like a heart problem. Best to get him checked sooner rather than later x
 
As a septrin junkie (all my pigs have been on it at some point ) depending on your pigs weight I think the dosage is quite low - for a pig of a kilo or more (as all mine are ) they are usually given 0.5ml twice a day - that seems to be the standard dose for that weight - maybe a 10 day course would be better - see what your vet thinks.
 
TAN said:
As a septrin junkie (all my pigs have been on it at some point ) depending on your pigs weight I think the dosage is quite low - for a pig of a kilo or more (as all mine are ) they are usually given 0.5ml twice a day - that seems to be the standard dose for that weight - maybe a 10 day course would be better - see what your vet thinks.
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I'm the same ! Love septrin as never had any side effects from my piggies using it- 0.5ml twice daily for mine too and they're all around a kilo. I dont think its a very strong antibiotic though, hence why they usually give longer courses. Hope your holding up okay xx
 
I agree with the above. Get him back to the vets if you can and ask them to listen to his chest to see if he needs a diuretic. He also may need a longer course of Septrin or a change in antibiotic.
 
Hi all thanks for the responses, he has been to the vets they have given him an anti-inflammatory injection today and he is booked in tomorrow to go in for investigations. When I came home tonight after work he seems to be more himself eating better. I don't know if the injection helped fingers crossed he doesn't need to be sedated and X-rayed tomorrow as I know that it can be really dangerous but I just want him to be better. I am heading there tomorrow morning for 8.30am. The vets are really good with him they said that rusty can stay with him for moral support as they are both used to being together.
 
Cookies&Glitter said:
Wonderful the are so understanding of the piggy bond. Fingers crossed for you, keep us updated!
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Thanks I will, I was a blubbering mess in the vets today as he had lost weight too which I was really concerned about. She gave me the options of what they can do. They said they can continue with antibiotics and prescribe some steroids as well or take him in for tests. I just want him to have a great quality of life and I will do all in my power to make sure that happens. xx
 
I hope you get some answers today. If possible ask them to confirm if there is any fluid on the chest, there may not be, but if there is he will need diuretics. There are mixed opinions on steroid use, a lot of vets use them but there are many who won't. We have a sticky thread about steroids in the health and illness section which you may want to read first.
 
Hi all many thanks for all your concern, oddball was a brave little boy today I was so proud of him he didn't need to be sedated as he just sat still for all his scans and X-rays to be done. They have found very concerning results he has only one functioning lung which was from when he was very young before I got him. The other is strong but they have prescribed bisolvin to sprinkle once a day. They have also gave me more septrin for 7 more days. I complained to pets at home as I had only had him for about 6 weeks before all this started happening xx
 
What a little trooper! Poor guy, make sure you tell them, sounds like they were having as much of an issue with their breeders as what happened here on the east coast in the US
 
Wow! What a fighter indeed! Glad you have answers and things are improving. Is he an indoor pig? If not i think this would need to be considered as he is obviously at high risk if he develops another URI.

Get on to pets at home, explain the findings (and that they have been there since before he was in your care) and they should refund part if not all of the treatment relating to this.

Good luck x
 
Adelle said:
Wow! What a fighter indeed! Glad you have answers and things are improving. Is he an indoor pig? If not i think this would need to be considered as he is obviously at high risk if he develops another URI.

Get on to pets at home, explain the findings (and that they have been there since before he was in your care) and they should refund part if not all of the treatment relating to this.

Good luck x
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Hi Adele, yes they are indoor piggies as I share my bedroom with them so I hear them all the time making sure they are okay. He is going to be on his meds for the rest of his life. I am going to pets at home before heading to my work at 1 today. I am not looking for a refund but a more vigorous test when the guineas are brought into the store would be beneficial. Could you imagine if this was someone's first pet? The vet said he is happy and not in any pain at all. I would be best to get a nebuliser for him. I love my boys to pieces x
 
If you need to get a neb machine look into asthm for cats in the UK and see if they could get you hooked up with one at a discount price. I rescued at cat with asthma, felt horrible when I discovered that I couldn't keep her as the hay made it worse but learned a lot about asthma in cats
 
I have a nebuliser for one of my boys, and I find that it really helps his breathing.

A couple of my boys were from Pets at Home. One ended up costing me a fortune. I obviously don't mind spending that on him, but it makes me sad to think of what would have happened to him if I hadn't taken him. Some people aren't quite as happy to spend on their pets.
 
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